ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN
ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN
Voices of: John Leguizamo, Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, and Denis Leary
Rated: PG
I took my little bro to see this with me last night, and we both laughed pretty much nonstop from opening titles to ending credits. That's the beauty of Ice Age: there's something that'll tickle EVERYONE's funny bone, no matter the age/maturity level.
The physical humor is hilarious, and never tasteless--it's quite like what was modeled by Bugs Bunny and Loony Tunes in the golden era of cartoons. Eye popping, limb stretching, funny little sound effects; everything is just irresistable.
The main storyline is: the ice around the valley is melting and the last ice dam is about to crack. The animals must make it across the valley to the safety of a "boat"; along the way Manny, Sid, and Deigo have their own adventures, and meet some new friends. An important subplot revolves around Manny's insecurities of perhaps being the last of his kind and his awkward attempts at romance with Ellie, the loveable mammoth who think's she's a possum.
The themes of global warming, death by flooding, and extinction are heavy ones to have in a kiddie movie, but they take a (mostly) backseat to the rest of the fun. And, as in the first movie, Scrat the sabre-toothed squirrel steals most of the show with his further acorn-driven exploits.
I highly recommend this sequel. It's one of those rare returns that is funnier than the first, and has something to offer everyone. The kids will love the physical comedy and puns, and the adults will really enjoy the innuendos and pop culture references that abound.
And hey, who doesn't want to see vultures singing and dancing to the song "Food, Glorious Food"?
Angie's Rating: 5/5